Oil temperature regulating device



Feb. 26, 1935. 1.. M. YOUNG El AL OIL TEMPERATURE REGULATING DEVICE 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1933 Feb. 26, 1935. L. M. YOUNG ET AL vOIL- TEMPERATURE REGULATING DEVICE Filed Aug. '7, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2lNlif/YTOES Feb. 26, 1935. L. M. YOUNG ET AL OIL TEMPERATURE REGULATINGDEVICE Filed Aug. 7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented F eb. 26 19351,992,796 OIL TEMPERATURE REGULATING DEVICE Leon M. Young and ErnstWitzel, Racine, Wis., assignors to Young Radiator Company, Racine,

Wis.

Application August '1, 1933, Serial No. 684,106

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to means for cooling the lubricating oil ofinternal combustion engines, as commonly used on airplanes, automobilesand the like, wherein the engine is subjected to varibus atmospherictemperatures and the oil used cores and provide a valve which is adaptedtocause the oil to flow through the cores after the temperature of theoil and cores rises to a predetermined point. I

Our invention is novel and desirable in that it provides preferablythermal means for controlling the flow of the oil, thus to operatesatisfactorily under all atmospheric temperatures and conditions,because the primary source of control resides in the temperature of theoil itself. When the temperature of the oil in the unit is very low itwill be congealed and, therefore, cannot without excessive pressure, bemade to fiow between the tubes of the cores but the thermally controlledvalve will then be open and the thickened oil will easily flow throughthe valve and passageway between the cores. The valve will remain openuntil the oil temperature has raised to a predetermined point. Beforethe valve closes the oil will pass through the central chamber and be indirect contact with the inner walls of the core chambers. The coreswill, therefore, be warmed sufiiciently before the valve is closed, tocause the oil therein to become liquid. It will then flow freely throughthe cores and after a sufficient rise in temperature the valve will beclosed to thus force all of the oil through the cores and subject it tothe cooling effect of the cores by deflection.

One of the objects of our invention is to pro-' vide a simple, eflicientand reliable unit adaptable to any form of power plant and whereby anyform of coolant or thermally controlled liquid may be used.

We accomplish these objects and other useful ends in a manner which willhereinafter be set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of our preferred form of unit,a fraction of the division wall having been removed to clearlyillustrate the position and construction of the core tubes.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2 of Figure 1.

Figure .3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modification.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a further modification.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of another modification.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modification wherein aspring and pressure operated valve is provided.

Thus it will be seen that various valve controlling means may be used onour cooling unit and various changes made in the details of the cores,the partition walls and in the central pre-warming passageway. v

As thus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the outer or enclosing housingis preferably cylindrical in form and is designated by the numeral 10.We provide centrally positioned and spaced apart longitudinal walls 11and 12, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. We provide preferably twoheat transfer cores which in their entirety are designated by referencecharacters A and B. These cores may be formed in any suitable manner; wehave shown them, however, as made by an assembly of tubes 13, the endsof which have been expanded as at 14 to thereby form the interstices 15between the tubes for the passage of the oil to be cooled. Air, water orany other coolant may be used by passing it through the tubes in theusual manner.

Thus far we have described .the radiator proper of the unit wherein thetwo walls 11 and 12 form a narrow. passageway or chamber 16. Thischamber is provided with a transversewall 1'7- ending as at 18, thus toprovide an opening between the front and rear portions-of the chamber16. Near the bottom of the walls 11 and 12, we provide openings 1919, tothereby form a passageway from the chamber 16 to the bottom of the coresA and B. In the top of the housing 10 we provide openings 20 and 21. Aninlet bracket 22 is provided, having a connection to the chamber 16through opening 23. Thus oil may pass from inlet 22 through the chamber16 into the bottom of cores A and B through openings 19 and pass fromthe top of these cores through openings 20 and 21.

In order to lengthen the travel of the oil through the cores, we providepartition walls 24' which are positioned alternately to thereby form azig zag path for the oil, as illustrated. by dotted line arrows inFigures 1 and 2.

The preferred form of valve mechanism, which in its entirety isdesignated by the reference character C, is positioned on the top of thehousing 10, as illustrated.

The valve housing 31 is suitably made fast to the housing 10 and isprovided with a valve seat opening 32 and a valve 33. An opening 34 inthe shell forms a passageway from the chamber 16 to the valve. Asuitable passageway 35 leads from the valve chamber to outlet 36. Thisout- .let registers with outlets 20 and 21, as shown in ings 19, fromthence, as indicated by dotted line arrows, through the cores to outlet36 through openings 20 and 21, as already indicated.

We mount the thermal means for controlling the valve 33 in housing 31 asfollows: a valve seat carrying sleeve 41 is screw threaded into thehousing 31 and is provided witha screw threaded cap 42. The bellows 43at its top end is attached and sealed to this cap and to the guide 44 atthe other end. This guide 44 is suitably formed to engage the valve 33,as indicated. Thus when the bellows expands and contracts, the valve isfree to move vertically and engage or disengage the seat 32.

The bellows 43 is of a. well known form and is adapted to be filled witha thermally sensitive gas or liquid and to permit the valve 33 to leaveits seat when exposed to a normal temperature of say 50 F. Thus thevalve will remain open for temperatures below 50 F. and all of the oilwill, therefore, pass directly through chamber 16 only, particularly soif the temperature is low enough to congeal the oil' and prevent itspassage through the cores A and B. When the englue is in operation andthe oil temperature rises above this predetermined temperature, thether- .,mally sensitive liquid orgas in the bellows 43 will expand andclose the valve, thus to force the oil through the cores. However, thewarmed oil in its passage through the chamber 16 will have alreadywarmed the cores and oil therein whereby the oil has become liquid andwill, therefore, pass freely through the cores.

Thus it will be seen that the valve will be controlled thermally.However, in order to more .directly and quickly expose the thermaldevice to the temperature of the oil, we provide restricted by-passopenings as at 45 and 46 whereby a small quantity of oil will passdirectly from chamber 16 to outlet chamber 36 through the sleeve 41.Clearly, the oil so passing will impinge the bellows and thereby causethe thermal device to be more sensitive to the circulating oiltemperatures.

An excessive risein temperature will be prevented through the coolingeifect of the radiators wherein air or liquid coolant may be used in theusual manner, as already indicated.

It will be'understood that we have named" 50 F. as normal only for thepurpose of convenient description. We may, obviously, adapt our devicefor any desired temperature.

' Referring now to Figure 3, it will be observed that the coolingstructure is identical to that shown in Figure 1, except the position ofthe is in turn rigidly connected to socket 60.

partition wall 50 which is nearer the inlet end of the unit, wherebyafter a predetermined temparts, which are similar to those shown inFigure 1, are identified by similar numerals. No restricted directpassage for oil is provided, as in Figure 1. provided whereby the heatedoilwill influence the thermal device by direct and eddy current contact,as indicated by arrows. The similarity of this construction to Figure 1is too obvious to require further description.

In Figure 4 we also show a device very similar to that shown in Figure3. In this figure similar parts to those shown in Figure 1 areidentified by similar reference numerals. The

valve housing is represented by numeral 56, the valve seat 5'7 is screwthreaded or otherwise mounted in the housing, a cap 58 is screw threadedinto the housing as indicated. The thermal device is positioned betweenthis cap 58 and valve 33 and comprises a bellows 59, valve socket'60 andcap 61. This cap 61 is screw threaded into .cap 58 and carries a guidetube 62 which slidably telescopes the tube 63' which The bellows 59 ismade fast and sealed to socket 60 and cap 61 to thereby form anenclosure for a thermally sensitive liquid or gas. An opening 64 isprovided in the tube 63, and an opening 65 is provided in cap 61,whereby to providemeans for inserting the liquid or gas into the tubesand bellows.

Thus it will be seen that the operation of the valve mechanism shown inFigure 4 will be similar to the operation of the valve mechanism shownin Figure 1. In Figure 1, however, the guide for the free end of thebellows resides in part 44, whereas in Figure 4 the cap 61 supports andguides the valve mechanism through the tubes-62 and 63.

Figure 5 illustrates a modification wherein the valve mechanism issimilar to that shown in Figure 4, having a housing and inlet similar tothat shown in Figure 3. The valve housing, however, is not provided withthe by-pass port 46, as shown in Figure 4, but is provided with a seator ring 71 which is positioned whereby the pe- However, an enlargedopening 52 is riphery of socket 60 will register therewith when p thevalve is closed. Thus when the valve is open, as indicated, a limitedquantity of oil will flow from port 72 around the bellows 59 past socket60,- the diameter of which is slightly housing, as indicated; a valveseat 82 is screw' threaded in the carrier 81, as indicated; valve 33 andvalve spring 85 are assembled into the carrier 81 as indicated; thehousing 80 is provided with an enlarged chamber 83 and the carrier withopenings 84. Thus when the valve 33 is off its seat, the oil will passthrough the seat and openings 84 into the chamber 83 and to the outlet36 which is similar to the outlet 36 shown in the other figures.

The operation of this valve mechanism will be as follows: When the oilis warm it will move through the unit exactly as in Figure 1, becausethe valve 33 will be held on its seat 82 by means of the spring 85.However, when the oil is congealed and will not readily flow through thecores, the pressure in chamber 16 will rise to a point where the valvewill be lifted from its seat. Thus the oil will be shunted through thechamber 16 into outlet 36. The warmed oil passing through the chamber 16will warm the cores and oil therein and in time the pressure in thechamber 16' will be reduced and the valve seated, after which theoperation will be exactly like the operation of the device shown in theother figures when the valve has been closed. by thermal action.

Thus it will be seen that our oil or liquid temperature controlling unitis simple, automatic and efficient, and that many minor changes may bemade without departing from the spirit or scope of our invention.

Having thus shown and described our invention, whatwe claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An oil cooling device comprising, a housing, a thermally controlledvalve, means whereby the thermal device of said valve is exposed to thetemperature of the incoming oil, .whereby said valve will be openedwhenthe temperature falls below a predetermined point and closed whenthe temperature rises above a predetermined point, two

cooling tube bundles insaid housing having'a narrow compartmenttherebetween, means whereby the oil will pass through said compartmentwhen said valve is open and be forced to pass in multiple between thetubes of said bundles when said valve is closed.

2. An'oil cooling device, comprising a thermally controlled valve, arestricted by-pass adapted to permit a limited quantity of oil tocontact the thermal device of said valve and cause said valve oiltemperature falls below. a

when the oil temto open when the predetermined point and close peraturerises above a predetermined point, two

bundles of cooling tubes having a narrow compartment therebetweem-meanswhereby the oil will pass through said compartment when said valve isopen and be forced to pass in multiple between the tubes of said bundleswhen said valve is closed, 7

3. An oil cooling device comprising, a thermally controlled valve, arestricted by-pas adapted to permit a limited quantity of oil to contactthe thermal device of said valve and cause said valve toopen when theoil temperature falls below a predetermined pointand close when the oiltemperature rises above a predetermined point, two bundles of coolingtubes having a narrow compartment therebetween, a partition wall in saidcompartment having an opening, means whereby the oil will pass aroundsaid partition and through said compartment when said valve is open andbe forced to pass in multiple between the tubes of said bundles whensaid valve is closed.

4. An oil cooling device, comprising a housing,

a thermally-controlled valve, two tube bundles in said housing having anarrow compartment therebetween, an oil; inlet at one end of saidcompartment, said valve forming an outlet therefor, the thermal deviceof which is exposed to the incoming oil temperature, whereby said valveis opened when the oil temperature falls below a predetermined point andis closed when the oil temperature rises above a predetermined point,outlets from said compartment to said tube bundles positioned oppositesaid inlet, oil outlets for said tube bundles on the opposite side fromsaid oil inlets, whereby the circulating oil may pass through saidcompartment when said valve is open and is forced to pass between thetubes of said tube bundles when said valve is closed. 5. An oil coolingdevice, comprising a housing, a by-pass valve having means to beyieldingly held normally closed, two cooling tube bundles in saidhousing having a narrow compartment therebetween formed by two partitionwalls, an oil inlet at one end of said compartment, said valve formingan outlet for the other end, a transverse partition wall in saidcompartment positioned between said inlet and said valve, leaving anopening on the opposite side from said inlet and valve, openings in saidpartition walls to said ..tube bundles on the opposite side from saidinlet,

outlets from the chambers of said bundles, positioned on the oppositeside from said openings, whereby oil may flow through said compartmentand around said transverse partition wall when said valve is open and isforced to flow between the tubes of said bundles in multiple, when saidvalve is closed.

6. An oil cooling device, comprising a housing, a by-pass valve havingmeans to be yieldingly held normallyclosed, two cooling tube bundles insaid housing having a narrow compartment therebetween, formed by twopartition walls, an oil inlet at oneend of said compartment, said valveforming an outlet for the other end, inlet openings in saidpartition-walls; to said tube bundles on the opposite side from saidvalve outlets from the chambers of said bundles, positioned adjacentsaid valve whereby oil may flow through said compartment when said valveis open and is forced to flow between the tubes 01 said bundles inmultiple, when said valve is closed.

- LEON M. YOUNG.

ERNST 'WITZEL'.

